Rotary intaglio printing press



Aug. 27, 1940. H M, BARBER 2,212,820

ROTARY INTAGLIO PRINTING PRESS Filed June 17, 1938 INVENTOR n BY 0H a ATTORNEYS Patented Au 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,212,820 ROTARY INTAGLIO PRINTING mess- Application June 17, 1938, SerialNo. 214,275

Claims. (01. 101-247) During the operation of intaglio printing presses it is necessary to frequently break the impression by separating the impression roll from the design cylinder. As the quality of the 5 printing is dependent upon obtaining a predetermined and uniform pressure between the design eylinder and impression roll, limit switches have been employed to control the operation of the lifting motors. While this method has been used for many years it has been difiicult to control the operation of the motors so that the impression rolls would be returned to their same position on the design cylinders. There also has been no way of determining the over-running of the motors except by observation of the quality of the printing.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby a direct pressure reading for each end of the impression roll at each side of the press can be obtained while the press is operating so that the impression roll may be adjusted fora predetermined uniform pressure throughout its length while the press is running, to cause the press to operate under ideal conditions.

My invention includes two pressure indicators,

one for each end of the impression roll, said indicators being preferably combined in a common gage located in a convenient position for observation by the press operator. My present invention is shown as applied to the rotary intaglio printing press which forms the subject matter of United States Letters Patent No. 2,076,241, dated April 6, 1937.

Fig. 1 represents a detail side elevation of so much of a rotary intaglio web printing press as includes my invention, certain of the parts being shown in section.

Fig. 2 represents a transverse vertical section 40, taken in the plane of the line IIII of Fig. 1,

looking in the direction of the arrows.

The side frames of the printing press are denoted by l, in which side frames the shaft 2 of the design cylinder 3 is rotatably mounted.

The main sliding head 4 is slidably mounted in the side frames I and it is guided therein by the gibs 4*, in which head the shaft 5 of the impression roll 6 is mounted. The shafts l and 8 of the web guide rolls 8 and III are also rotatably mounted in the main sliding head .4 so as to move with the impression roll 6 toward and away from the design cylinder 3.

The auxiliary sliding head H is slidably mounted for a. limited movement in the main 80 carried by the auxiliary head ll. Non-rotatable sliding head 4, in which auxiliary sliding h ead screw-threaded impression screws l5 extend upwardly from the auxiliary sliding head by means of which impression screws the auxiliary head II and the main head 4 are raised and lowered with a lost motion connection between the aux-' iliary and main heads; said heads being guided in their respective side frames by means of the gibs 4*.

The means which I have shown for raising and lowering the non-rotatable impression screws l5 to thereby raise and lower the impression and back-up rolls, is as follows:

Wide faced helical gears l6 are threaded upon the impression screws I5, which gears are located normally in the bottoms of vertical chambers ll in the side frames I. Sliding collars l8 surround the impression screws l5 within the chambers E'l above the wide faced helical gears l6. Between these collars l8 and screw-threaded caps 19, which close the upper ends of these chambers ll, there are interposed coil springs 20 surrounding the said impression screws 15.

These screw-threaded caps l9 serve to adjust .the

tension of these coil springs 20.

- A divided cross shaft 2|, 22 is mounted in the side frames l, which cross shaft is provided with worm gears 23 meshing with the impression screw helical gears 16. A manually releasable clutch 24 serves to removably lock the cross shaft members 2| and 22 together. These cross shaft members are provided with hand wheels 25 and 26 respectively, for manual operation of the divided cross shaft from either side of the machine or for the independent manual operation 'of the cross shaft members when unlocked from each other.

A reversing electric motor 21 is mounted on a platform 28 carried by one of the side frames I; The motor shaft 29 carriesa pulley 30 which drives a. belt 3| passing around a pulley 32 locked by a shear pin 33 to a collar 34 fast on the cross shaft member 22.

The usual motor starting and reversing but- .tons and their electricalconnectio'ns are provided as clearly shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,076,211, hereinbefore referred to. These buttons and their connections are not shown and particularly described herein as they form no part of the present invention which is directed to the means for independently indicating the pressure of the impression roll on the design cylinder at both ends of the impression roll when the press is operating. The pressure indicating and adjusting means is constructed, arranged and operated as follows:

A fluid pressure element .35 of well known or approved construction connects each pressure screw IS with the auxiliary head II. In the present instance each pressure element 'is proing lugs 36 and 31, the upwardly projecting lug being screwed or otherwise secured on to the lower end of the screw I5 andthe downwardly projecting lug being screwed or otherwise secured on the adjusting screw I4 carried by the auxiliary head ll.

. A common pressure gage 38 is located at a convenient point at the front side of the machine for observation by the press operator. This gage is provided with two pressure indicators 39 operated by their respective pressure elements 35 in the usual manner.

A relay 4!! of well known or approved construction is electrically connected through the circuit wires 4|, 42 with the motor 21. The relay is also connected to the pressure gage 38 through the circuit wires 43, 44 to be operated thereby.

The main line wires 45, 46 run to the relay 40 and a branch wire 41 leads .from the relay to the wire 44, in which branch wire 41 there is located a manually operated switch 48.

The electrical connections between the gage, the relay, .and the motor are such that when the motor has lowered the main and auxiliary iliary frames with their impression and back-up rolls to be in their raised position: The motor is started in a direction to lower the impression roll into its operative position with respect to the design cylinder. When the main and auxiliary frames with their back-up and impression rolls have been lowered by the motor to their operative position the motor will be automatically stopped by the action of "one of the indicators 39 of the gage 38 when the desired pressure between either or both ends of the impression roll and the design cylinder is reached. It may then be found by observing the indicators whether or not there is an even pressure or over pressure of the impression roll on the design cyl with their rolls the motor overruns slightly so as to increase the predetermined pressure between the impression roll and design cylinder, it is obvious that the indicators 39 will show this excess roll back to its designedpressure relationship with respect tothe design cylinder.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the particular and out of coaction with the design cylinder, pre'ssure indicators for each end of the impression cylinder and pressure elements ,for said indicators connecting the impression screws with said auxiliary head. I

2. In a rotary intaglio printing press, a design cylinder, a main sliding head, an impression roll carried thereby, an auxiliary head having a limited sliding movement in the main head. motor driven means including springpressed impression screws for bringing the impression roll into and out of coaction with the design cylinder, a common pressure gage comprising pressure indicators for each end of the impression cylinder and pressure elements for said indicators connecting the impression screws with said auxiliary head.

3. In a rotary intaglio printing press, a design' cylinder, a main sliding head, an impression roll carried thereby, an auxiliary head having a limited sliding movement in the main head, motor driven means including spring pressed impression screws for bringing the impression roll into and out of coaction with the design cylinder, pressure indicators for each end of the impression cylinder and pressure elements for said indicators connecting the impression screws with said auxiliary head, and means for separately adjusting the pressure of each impression screw.

4. In a rotary intaglio printing press, a design cylinder, a main sliding head, an impression roll carried thereby, an auxiliary head having a limited sliding movement in the main head, spring pre'ssed non-rotatable impression screws, gears threaded thereon, a motor driven cross shaft having gears meshing with the impression screw gears or bringing the impression roll into and out of coaction with the design cylinder, pressure indicators for each end of the impression cylinder and pressure elements connecting the impression screws with the auxiliary head.

5. In a rotary intaglio printing press, a design cylinder, 9. main sliding head, an impression roll carried thereby, an auxiliary head having a limited sliding movement in the main head, spring pressed non-rotatable impression screws, gears threaded thereon, a motor driven cross shaft having gears meshing with the impression screw gears for bringing the impression roll into and out of coaction with the design cylinder, pressure indicators for each end of the impression cylinder and pressure elements connecting the impression screws with the auxiliary head, and means for separately adjusting the pressure of each impression screw. I

HOWARD M. BARBER. 

